Thursday, March 8

What's in Your Basement?

Peter John is my favorite cousin. He has a knack for saying, in a hilarious manner, what everyone else is thinking. At a family dinner he once joked that in the event of World War III, after the nuclear fall out, he would somehow manage to make it to my dad’s house, because it would be the only place left in Rhode Island that wouldn't run out of food.

It's true. My dad has a large basement whose food contents could rival that of any Super Stop n’ Shop or Costco. I am not sure if this is an Italian thing, or a 1950's bomb shelter thing, or because he grew up in a large family where money was not plentiful but manual labor was. I could write several posts about his canning tomatoes, pickling peppers, and stuffing sausages his whole life. I suspect there is a part of him hard-wired to always have ample amounts of food stored. Trust me, he does.

Although I haven’t been in my parents’ basement since Christmas, I'm certain there are, right now, at least 25 boxes of Barilla pasta, 30 cans of San Marzano tomatoes, 5 cases of bottled water, a dozen boxes of cereal, a half a wheel of Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese, 10 gallons of olive oil, and 20 cans of cannelini beans. Whenever we ask him what he’s going to do with all that food, he invariably responds, “It’s food. It’ll never go to waste. Somebody will eat it.” Somebody always does -- primarily because he gives most of it away.

My dad is a truly generous person, especially when it comes to food. He gives away turkeys at holidays, shares countless bottles of his best wine with friends and family, and delivers crates full of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses to his children. He gets pleasure out of sharing food with others.

Since we’ve moved away, he has sent us scores of care packages. Invariably, there will be a bottle of olive oil because he knows that I love it. From light and fruity to bold and grassy, there isn’t one that I won’t try. I don't remember the last time I actually had to buy a bottle in the store; the shipments always seem to arrive just in time. Which is why I was stunned to realize that I have never made an olive oil cake. I mean really, I should be ashamed to call myself Italian.

It was lovely paired with an arugula and ricotta frittata as well as with a goat cheese, olive, and sun-dried tomato spread. I must say, I can't wait to make it again as it was ultra moist, dense, and delicious. The only missing part was sharing a piece with Dad.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes before removing the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

This tree is outside our bedroom, and every morning by the time we awake, the fragrance perfumes the entire room. This picture was taken from my window early one morning. I used the lemons in the cake.

This cake looks fabulous! The herb touch is very interesting and I'm sure it mingles well with the fragrant aromas of lemon.Your father seems to be a very generous person. The story about his basement made me dream! It's a bit like Ali Baba's cave. The only difference resides in the fact that at your parents', it is chock-a-block full with yummy food...

What a lovely tribute to your father. He sounds like a lovely man. I am intrigued by this cake.. I may try to tweak the recipe (to leave out the egg/dairy).. do you think it would still be good without the parmesan? Rosemary and lemon are so beautiful together.

What? Care packages don't deliver east-ward? Oh well, it's the thought that counts! But if I'm your Dad, I'm holding out for the real thing as soon as you're in the same time zone for more than an hour.

Susan - how funny, my father was the same way. Only it was the back room (it was dark and cool like a cave) of our restaurant. He'd store crates of food, cases of wine, boxes of condiments, shelves full of spices and canned goods.. the whole 9 yards - and none of it was for sale at the restaurant, it was his personal stash for friends and family. =)

He also was the person who introduced me to olive oil cake and olive oil bread - both delicious! I REALLY LOVE the ingredients you decided to put in yours and I look forward to trying it myself =)

That cake looks so good, and I know I would love it, but the guys in my house would probably find out what was in it and screw up their noses at it. Olive oil? nyet....that would just mean more for me.

I haven't made olive oil cake for yonks... love to see yours, it's stunning!!! Your dad sounds like someone in my family... my husband :) Some folks saw us put grocery into our car, they asked if we had 10 kids!

Susan, your cake looks wonderful. I love the mixture of rosemary and lemon, and my cold bones ache with jealousy for the opportunity to have a lemon tree outside my window. Any thoughts on how you might adapt this, or what you would serve it with if you were looking for something sweet?

This sounds wonderful! Complex and not overly sweet. Sounds like it might also play nicely with a simple icing I make for my lemon flaxseed cake: thoroughly mix 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with a tablespoon of lemon juice and drizzle it over the completely cooled cake, letting it run down the sides and pool in the serving plate. A little extra lemony zing--and the look of it keeps with the rustic quality of your lovely cake.

Susan, the cake looks deeelicious (as everything you have made looks)! I have to vouch for the comments about your Dad (and the same goes for your Mom) - they are both extremely generous. Over the past 30 years I have been the proud and appreciative recipient of countless baked goods, wine, bread, bread dough - the list goes on and on. What you may not know is your Dad's fetish carries over to the office - we have enough peanut butter and crackers to feed a small army. We'll never go hungry if we get snowed in. I am enjoying your blog immensely as well as the delicious recipes (it's the 1st thing I check in the a.m.) Keep up the good work.

Lydia-He lives in South County. You'll recognize his house because it's the one with all the shopping carts out front. ;)

Rosa-It really is wonderfully fragrant!

Valentina-Come on over! I'd love to share a piece with you. :)

Melody-Thanks, he really is. I too tweak many recipes with egg beaters and lactaid or soy milk. I also think it would be perfectly fine without the cheese. It's really the rosemary and lemon pairing that's most flavorful.

Alanna-Oh, yes, care packages travel east-ward (usually with CA goodies). But that's still not the same as sharing a piece with him. That's the part I really miss.

Lis-Oh, your father sounds so dear. I love that he had a special reserve just for family. That's the way it should be. :)

T.W.-I'll be honest. I'm not a big time cake-eater. But after one taste of this savory cake, I'm hooked. Jeff has already asked me when I'm making the next one! :)

Kate-Thanks! Well, more for you isn't a bad thing. ;)

Linda-As a rosemary-lover, you really must try this! The flavor is enhanced by the fresh lemon.

Jeff-Hostess?!? Now, that's a blast from the past! I haven't thought of that place in years.

Gattina-I love it! How funny! When Jeff and I go to the farmers' market, they always ask how many kids we have too! I inherited it from my dad. ;)

Brilynn-Glad you liked the story!

Shawnda-Oh, I'm so glad to hear it! You won't be disappointed. :)

Cookiecrumb-Well, I might open to loaning him, but only if you promise to be really, really nice. See, I learned since the rosemary. I'll be a true Californian yet. ;)

Mikaela-Oh, thank you so much!

Anali-That is too funny! Last time we were home, my brother and sister-in-law joked about "shopping" in my dad's basement. Sounds like your mom is super generous too! :)

Patricia-Thank you for the lovely words. I always appreciate your comments. And, if you say the cake's texture is good, then I'm really flattered. You know how I feel about your baking skills!

Rob-Thanks! For something sweet, you could add some sweet dessert wine and orange zest instead of the herbs and cheese. You could also serve it with a sweetened creme fraiche or whipped ricotta and fresh berries. Or try Terry's lemon icing above.

Terry-Thanks so much for that suggestion; I will definitely try it. I can visualize the icing puddles...it'll be perfect.

Jo-Ann-Thank you for that lovely comment. You just warmed me heart. Really. I laughed out loud about the peanut butter and crackers. It's so true! It means so much to me that I'm the first thing you check in the morning! There wouldn't be a blog if it weren't for loyal readers like you. Take care,and give my best to Lou.

I've never had savory cakes like this. I can only think of warm cornbread with jalepenos and cheddar as a likeness of the experience. But I love olives and rosemary--my little rosemary tree in my kitchen has hung on through another winter and could use some snipping.

Susan - What a fabulous post! I haven't thought of Stop n' Shop in years! Just reading the words - I can hear the Boston Accents ringing in my ears.....This cake looks wonderful. The pictures are spot on! Thanks!

cara Susan, my father is like yours, the same same, his big trouble is about food, he give us a lot of food, and also wine, olive oil from Abruzzo (family production- oil mill), he is very generous and has a big-hearted like your Dad... ..and my mother-in-law has also the same generosity, she bought us a lot of fresh vegetagle and fruits, cheese, sweets, olive oil (we have a lot of :) !) so, we are lucky :) ..and this cake has the smell of Italy! ciao ciao

Adding rosemary sounds really good. I only recently tried olive oil cake, and I loved it! I tried to make one from an Italian cookbook, but the flavor of the baking powder was too strong. I will have to compare your recipe with the one in the book, but from the looks of it yours seems better.

I loved your story of your father's basement. I have to admit mine is similar, though not even close to that degree. I stock maybe 1/5 of what your father does. I always know if I'm going to run out of something well in advance.

Susan, I love the header, hm..one header per season, that would be refreshing ya ? I love the picture the most, ah..finally I see your face, you looked so sweeeett 16 !!! btw, just came back from Costco with jugs of olive oil hehe, hm..should I bake a not..err..

This cake looks georgious, I like so much the combination of rosemary and lemon with olive oil, I will try this for sure! By the way, the obsession of olive oil is typical Italian, especially with people from central and southern Italy. On the contrary, in the north butter is mostly prefered in many preparations, not only in cakes. I'm one of those olive oil supporters, anyway! ;) The one I prefer the most is from Umbria (where I have some relatives!), full-bodied but very delicate at the same time. You should tell your dad to try it! ;D

That sounds like such a cool basement. We don't have one (we live in an apartment) but if we ever do have one I'm going to stock it with pastas and oils and wines and dried fruits and - oh! Can you see how excited I get at the mere thought of that much storage space?

Are'nt dads the cutest !As a kid i used to get annoyed at him and tell him dad why u always in the kitchen n talkin about food...i never understood his passion.Now that i'm married and away and in my own kitchen i miss him and all the lovely things he used to make.And i tell u- the parcels always arrive in time...special homemade pickles and freshly ground spices.Would love to try your savoury cake.It looks delicious.

Food Blogga-I love savory cakes and I must say, yours is the most beautiful I have seen. It is so bright and cheerful. I am sure it tasted wonderful. I will definitely make yours next. So glad I found you on delicious.

I was a little unsure about the combination of sugar and parmesan. My stepson just polished off most of the cake - and I stand absolutley corrected! What a lovely combination of flavours Susan. And lovely to see your photo also!

What a wonderful father you have! :) You are truly lucky...and on top of that, a lemon tree roght outside your window! That cakes sounds delicious, especially as you described what you had it with...what a fantastic meal! :)

Lucy-You really made it? Oh, how wonderful. I'm so glad your stepson liked it. You know, I had three different recipes, and only one called for no sugar, so that helped me make my decision. I plan on trying it in the future though.

Mae-Until we moved here, I never knew about the glorious fragrance of lemon and oranges blossoms.

Sue: What a beautiful, warm story. It brought back memories. Your paternal grandfather had family in Prata Sanita Italy and they exchanged packages;they would send homemade cheese and olive oil. He also had a cellar stocked with food as this was the great depression years. We are all very proud of your writing abilities and quality of pictures. Love Dad

Susan,This cake sounds wonderful. I printed it and I plan on making it for your brother. He loves anything that has a hint of lemon. Your blog is great. I visit frequently and print recipes that I know your brother will love. I feel like I am getting to know you and jeff through your wonderful stories. I especially love the stories about your dad. He is truly a special man...Your Mom is great too!!!

Oh, I love this cake! Not only totally gorgeous but sounds mouth-watering too. I've nebver made a savoury cake, but maybe it's time to start. Love the story of your dad and his basement pantry too - me best friend's mom was Croatian and did exactly the same thing...

oooo..yeah! I've tried this recipe before and I must say..yumm,yumm,yumm,yumm,yumm! :-)the texture of this cake is amazing and the tangy-ness coming from the lemon really compliments the olive oil in a subtle way. I did left out the rosemary though cause my fiance couldn't stand the smell :P

nevertheless it's a great way to try something new and is a definite keeper for cake lovers! and on top of that, it's HEALTHY! :-) :-) (trying to make myself feel better..hihi!)

This cake looks absolutely wonderful. I've never made anything like it. Can't wait to try it. Loved reading about your dad's basement, too. The Shack doesn't have an actual basement, but I can totally relate to the food hoarding--though I'm just a rank amateur compared to him! ; )

This is a wonderful cake recipe, ive noted it down will be trying it out soon, infact there is recipe i came across on http://www.khanapakana.com/recipe/templates/cooking-recipe.aspx?articleid=abef7f88-305f-4204-8f6a-aef427149413&zoneid=1 the cake recipe has oil, green cardamom as ingredients, looks like a good recipe!